Richmond Hill softball swept by Greenbrier in first round of playoffs

Richmond Hill couldn’t stop a more experienced and higher-ranked Greenbrier team Wednesday, as the Lady Wildcats were swept in the first round of the GHSA Class AAAAA playoffs, 12-5 and 11-2.

The Lady Wildcats, who finished their season at 17-13 overall, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the series opener, but committed five errors to allow the fifth-ranked Lady Wolfpack to come roaring back.

Amber Rivera and Makayla Peny had two hits apiece, while Taylor Rine chipped in a basehit for Richmond Hill. Sophia Lorimer and Cristy Davenport had two RBIs each. Greenrbier outhit the Lady Wildcats 11-5.

The run rule-shortened second game saw Greenbrier jump out to a commanding 11-0 lead, before Richmond Hill scored twice in the bottom of the fifth on a Ciara Patrick two-run single. Lorimer, Peny and Amber Nixon all had basehits for the Lady Wildcats in the loss.

Greenbrier (27-6), the Region 2 champion, hosts Ola in the second round, beginning next Wednesday.

It was a largely successful season for Richmond Hill in head coach Angie Hummeldorf’s first season at the helm. The Lady Wildcats advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2009, and their 17 wins was their highest mark since 2005, when they went 17-9.

Richmond Hill won their regular season 3-AAAAA (A) sub-region title before dropping a pair of games in the region tournament and entering the playoffs as a No. 4 seed.